The Pursuit of Happiness
by Fangtom
Summary: Lexi didn't grow up as a strong-willed Terran, which is pretty hazardous when you live in the Koprulu Sector. After Tarsonis' Fall, the timid young woman finds herself working in Project Shadowblade, where she makes the most unlikely partnership in an ornery, Darwinian, and VERY violent Tal'darim. What are the odds of survival when coffee's involved?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A prequel to We Stand Unified, with the first few chapters doubling as flashbacks that would begin right after Chapter 19 of WSU.

* * *

 **"The Pursuit of Happiness"**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Life is Hard, That's a Fact.**

* * *

 **-February 17th, 2500. Tarsonis-**

In 2506, it was easy to forget that Tarsonis, a planet covered in rock and rubble, was _the_ jewel of the Terran colonies and boasted the highest population of over two billion terrans. The society that grew from Tarsonis developed the most technologically advanced and prosperous conditions of living that surpassed Moria and Umoja at its peak. It was this planet that housed the aristocratic Old Families and birthed the powerful Terran Confederacy.

But one would only find that concept in future terrans, who are too preoccupied with aliens repeatedly invading Korhal and interstellar wars of annihilation that rage beyond even the Koprulu sector.

Today though, with one man's twisted ambition and cruel deception, over a billion people will die on Tarsonis.

* * *

 **-New Gettysburg-**

Hot fire, thick smoke, rumbling rubble, and screams of the dying piercing through the howling din of the zerg drove her body to run, even as her feeble heart threatened to burst from shock and exertion.

Tears clouded her vision, but she could fearfully see the zerg swarm like biblical locusts attacking the golden alien warships that dominated the sky above. Where were the Confederate battlecruisers? Where were the orbital defense platforms? They were supposed to be safe!

She lived a life sitting behind study desks, not running marathons. Her untrained legs begged to rest, but she pushed on for dear life, pulling on the hand of her teenage brother.

"Lexi!" he cried, turning his head back to look. "They're coming!"

21 year old Lexi didn't dare look back. She could hear the pursuing zerg pounce on the stragglers, tearing them apart in their last screaming moments. If she looked back, she might freeze in terror.

"J-Just keep running, Tom!"

An eerie whirring noise echoed from the skies, and moments later, one of the alien warships fired a large blue laser overhead, obliterating a skyscraper and exploding the earth behind her. She nearly tripped from the ensuing shockwave.

The sounds of the people being torn alive behind her were instantly silenced in the ensuing fireball.

"Lex!" called Tom who pointed ahead, "I see soldiers!"

She followed his gaze and sighed in utter relief. The white armor of Confederate marines could be seen, with the soldiers herding the survivors to a secure starport. "Oh thank god!" She tugged at Tom's wrist, "Hurry!"

She ran for the marines.

Then her heart filled with dread. None of them saw the zerglings and hydralisks that crawled over the rubble overshadowing them. And none of them were prepared when the zerglings pounced and the hydralisks rained spines down on the exposed terrans.

Lexi quickly veered off and ran away, hoping her unfortunate fellow terrans would provide enough distraction.

"Sis! They saw us!'

This time she did look back, and instantly regretted it. Her palpitating heart nearly burst when her tear-stricken eyes spotted a pack of vicious zerglings bounding towards them.

Pure dread seized her mind - they can't escape the zerglings. They were going to die.

"Lex! GET DOWN!"

Tom suddenly tackled her to the ground just as a zealot leaped over their bodies and began cutting down the zerglings.

Lexi saw the protoss, calling and shouting in their enigmatic alien language, suddenly arrive enmass with their blades and war-machines. She and Tom were suddenly trapped in an all-out brawl between the zerg and the protoss, with their only protection being a pit in the debris that hid them from passing spines and plasma shots.

She completely froze up, and a few seconds precious passed she registered Tom pulling her arm.

"Don't be scared! Let's get out of here!"

Her brother's voice spurred her to leave the pit's safety and try escaping both the protoss and zerg.

"Where's the starport?" he shouted.

"I-I," she gasped, "It's that way!" They ran together, with the more athletic Tom making sure Lexi wouldn't slow down as he pushed her on.

Now they were the only terrans in the general vicinity, with the protoss mostly ignoring them to cull the Zerg. They might make it!

The rubble suddenly exploded under their feet. Lexi tumbled backwards painfully with her back and head smacking against the smashed concrete bits several times. Pain and pure adrenaline kept unconsciousness at bay, and her eyes struggled to focus. The world was blurry... she must have lost her glasses.

Her heart stopped. Now there stood a hydralisk, towering over her cowering brother.

"TOM!"

Tom raised his arm protectively as the hydralisk raised its claw to strike him down. Even if she wasn't half-stunned, there was nothing she could do to save him!

A blinding blue ball of anti-matter exploded against the hydralisk, blinding her eyes and deafening her ears. She floundered helplessly as her senses slowly returned.

Only bones and charred pieces of flesh remained of the zerg beast.

Tom was knocked back, and he lay there as still as a corpse with the burnt remains of his arm.

"NO! TOM!" She scrambled to his side. He was barely alive, and his arm was completely disintegrated past the elbow. Fortunately the wound was cauterized and he wasn't bleeding, but he looked so dreadfully close to dying.

"It hurts... It hurts so much."

"Oh my god! Tom! Look at me!"

"Lex... Please...," Tears of pain and shock flowed down his dust-caked face. "I don't want to die."

A bright light washed over them, and Lexi froze as she stared back. A four-legged, spider-like walker flashed its spotlight and smoking dorsal cannon at them, its mechanical cycloptic eye staring intently.

Why did her life come to this? Here she was, a weak and frail human at the mercy of this alien, whose incomprehensible technology and cold motives gave them complete control over her right to live. These aliens came, they destroyed her home, and now this one was going to end her life.

She was so sure the protoss machine would finish them off, but it stared at Tom's mutilated body for a few tense seconds, as if examining the consequences of its actions.

Suddenly, a small missile smashed into the walker's shield, but the electromagnetic payload was unleashed, locking down the machine as white sparks snaked throughout its hull.

The raucous bark of gauss rifles sent her ducking for cover and shielding her injured brother. Rebel marines suddenly showed up to gang up on the dragoon, and their gauss rifles tore apart the machine until it bled blue liquid and collapsed dead.

Lexi quivered as a scarred, bleeding alien corpse fell out of its chamber, ripping off the various tubes attached to its dead body.

The rebels were led by a red-haired ghost, and the cold-faced woman squinted through the chaotic dust without the protection of her tactical visor, "Hostiles incoming! Open fire!"

Lexi covered her head and did not remove her eyes from Tom to witness a new squad of zealots burst through the dust storm's veil and charge the marines with terrifying speed. A storm of bullets battering their shields did little to dull the ferocity of their charge, and the concentrated fire only managed to down one zealot.

One of the marines called out, "Lieutenant! We can't stop them!"

The ghost shouldered her canister rifle and lashed out her hand.

A zealot was about to jump off an outcropping beam of concrete to pounce the marines. An unseen force shattered the concrete under his feet, causing him to trip before he could leap, and he was immediately gunned down.

The red-head clenched and lifted her hand.

Concrete and neo-steel beams jutted out the floor of rubble, tripping more zealots running at high speed and offering a precious few seconds to shoot them down.

Despite her efforts, a few zealots managed to close in and cut down the marines with fell swipes. Lexi screamed as the bulky body of a dead marine nearly crushed her.

The ghost sniped a zealot that already lost his shield. Another tried to charge her, but she used her telekinesis to chuck concrete that shattered the zealot's shield, then the green-painted metal sign that said "Welcome to New Gettysburg" crashed into his face, snapping his neck.

The soft crunching of human boots signaled that it was at last safe for Lexi to look, and look she did, towards the emotionless green eyes of the red-head.

Lexi stuttered, "P-please! Help him!"

The ghost knelt closer and examined Tom's injuries. She shook her head, "He doesn't have long. You need to get out of here now."

"I-I- No!" she croaked, "I won't do that!"

More rebel marines and goliaths came to reinforce the region, but the howls of the Zerg and war cries of the Protoss drew ever closer. Lexi felt something poke at her mind, and heard the ghost say, "You don't have a choice. Now go!"

The world seemed to shrink and dim into a hum, and Lexi felt compelled to some vague direction she somehow knew would lead to safety. And so she ran with a single-minded intent. She didn't know how long she ran, or how tired she was. Time seemed to pass instantly.

And when she finally came to her senses, her mind registered three things.

One. Her body was _dead-beat tired,_ with burning lungs and a heart that threatened to explode, as if she ran a hundred miles in a single go!

Two. She was at Osborne Port, with no idea how she managed to get here in one piece.

Three. Tom was nowhere to be found.

TOM! She abandoned him to die!

Why did she do that?!

She spun to run back, but was swept up by a new wave of survivors eager to board a shuttle from the Sons of Korhal. Her small, short body was powerless against the desperate masses.

"TOM!" she wailed, hoping for even the smallest chance that he somehow made it here with her.

Her voice was drowned out by the crowd as they practically dragged her into the shuttle.

The last she saw of her home was the sight of burning and crumbling skyscrapers, huge firestorms consuming the city, and the ominous lights of the alien warships that crowded the yellow sky, raining blue fire over the terrans fighting below.

Eventually the crowd calmed and she managed to gain some personal space in the shuttle. The fact that she actually managed to escape the carnage did nothing to dull the weight in her mind. She squeezed through the taller bodies and looked for an unoccupied corner in the overcrowded passenger bay. Spotting one such corner, she pressed her back against the uncomfortable edge, embracing the dirty smell of rust and metal.

Everything came crashing down, her back slid down against the corner, and she cried. Cried, because her education at the Tarsonis City Colonial University would never be complete, because her parents were killed when billions of zerg and hundreds of protoss warships descended from the heavens like the wrath of some cruel god, and because her dear brother was dead. Her life as she knew it was gone.

 _Why?_

She felt so _powerless_ at the utter mercy of the aliens. Her confidence in the Confederacy's defenses were shattered in the span of a few hours. Why did they let this happen to her family? Why did they let the aliens burn their home to the ground?

It's not fair...

What can she do now? What's the point? Life was always trying to break her, and she could do nothing to resist...

* * *

 **-2501. Korhal, Augustgrad.-**

 _Fellow Terrans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time. While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning against us, threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished. It is time for us as nations and as individuals to set aside our long-standing feuds and unite! The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge upon higher ground, lest we be swept away by the flood._

 _The Confederacy is no more. Whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom; a memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection? The devastation brought by the alien invaders is self-evident. We have seen our homes and communities destroyed by the calculated blows of the Protoss. We have seen first-hand our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish Zerg. Unprecedented and unimaginable though they may be, these are the signs of our time._

 _The time has come, my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength; already many of the dissident factions have joined us. Out of the many, we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating only to a single throne. And from that throne, I shall watch over you!_

 _From this day forward, let no human make war upon any other human. Let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning. And let no man consort with alien powers. And to all the enemies of humanity, seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through, no matter the cost!_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

When Lexi first heard Emperor Arcturus Mengsk's inauguration speech, his charismatic words stirred something in her. His words brought to mind the painfully fresh memories of Tarsonis' Fall, and the more she listened to his promises, the more she allowed hope to fill the despair in her soul.

Arcturus promised to protect humanity, no _protect her,_ from the violence of the aliens. Obviously he was trying to win PR, but was it really so hard to believe in him? He was the leader of the group that rescued her from the massacre at Tarsonis merely a year ago, so she owed him something, right?

Even when the UED temporarily occupied Korhal and sent the Emperor into exile, he came back strong and was now building the Dominion into a powerful nation. Just like her and everyone else, he knew the dangers of the protoss and the zerg, surely he must understand what must be done to protect the empire he built? Lexi felt as if he could trust him, and the more she saw him on UNN's channels, the more she viewed him as a compassionate, caring grandfatherly figure who championed the sacred mission to protect humanity from the alien menace.

Lexi was never a strong person. She was meek and weak. From elementary to middle school, she was constantly bullied by classmates for her large glasses and untamable puffy hair; calling her a nerd for getting better grades, dressing unfashionably, and crushing on the popular boys. She didn't know why they chose to single her out. Her parents felt that glasses were cheaper than contacts (which she hated) and laser surgery was still too expensive for them. Nor could she afford a large wardrobe, and she'd rather go for comfort than petty fashion styles. She saw no need to comb or condition her unruly hair. And her parents constantly pressured her to study well, and she really did want to receive a higher education... why anyone would bully for that reason was beyond her.

When she was mocked by girls or teased by boys, she never resisted. Often she told her brother the excuse that she didn't feel like dealing with dumb bimbos and stupid jerks, but in reality, she was afraid they would retaliate in gangs, as had happened to her once or twice... It resulted in broken glasses, which her parents ended up paying for.

So she took whatever the other children dished out, all the way to high school. Of course, most people matured and mellowed out, but the years were still incredibly lonely and isolated. She couldn't make or hold onto a single friend, and struggled with group projects despite her intelligence.

Despite that, she still managed to study hard and graduated high school with honors. Her efforts were paid off when the Tarsonis City Colonial University admitted her into the institution, and she continued to study alone for her neuro-psychology major, because that field was in high demand with the rise of psionic terrans, and other personal reasons...

It was only February of her senior year when Tarsonis fell, as such, she never completed her degree and couldn't continue on Korhal since she was a registered refugee. No institution would recognize her progress from Tarsonis, nor did she have the funds to pay for her education. As such, she was trying to make ends meet with low paying jobs... but even that was proving difficult with her... 'insufficient personality'.

In short, she never saw herself as somone who could carve her piece in the world. On the other hand, Arcturus sounded strong, like a leader who _can_ make a difference where her pitiful self couldn't. And so she felt compelled to listen to his speeches; believe his words.

And the more she invested her hope in Arcturus, the more she grew to denounce the name James Raynor. That man would rather fight his fellow terrans instead of battling the true enemy in the zerg and protoss. He threatens the very stability of the Dominion with his drunken goals, increasing the risk that they will fall to another terrifying invasion...

How can such a vile, irrational man exist in the sector?... She hoped the Dominion will hunt him down and bring him to justice, for the sake of everyone's safety.

* * *

Lexi did not sleep well last night.

She dragged herself out of the messy bed and walked over piles of unwashed cloths, not possessing the will or energy to clean her room.

She entered the smelly bathroom and did her simple routine. Brush her teeth and tie her fuzzy hair in a crude braid, with large choppy bangs that covered the forehead and obscured ears. She didn't bother washing her face... what's the point of trying to clean it if its always going to have pimples?... Stupid genetics...

With the addition of her large glasses, she definitely looked like a nerd, but hopefully the glass frames would draw attention away from the dark bags under her brown eyes.

Even with the aid of sleeping pills, the drugs did little to alleviate the impending dread of the apartment rent she was due to pay. Why was she so afraid?

She was once again fired from her job, this time at a quaint coffeehouse in a large mall that was recently constructed as part of the economic growth policy. Why was she fired? She was a _horrible_ cashier, being too shy and meek to address customers properly and would miscount the money in the midst of a stuttering fit. At the aggravation of her manager and the sympathy of her co-workers, they opted to just let her make drinks. That arrangement worked well until yesterday when she accidentally made the wrong drink for a customer.

Now, it just so happened that the customer was in a hurry to purchase a ton of presents for his spoiled daughter's 7th birthday in under one hour, which he made _very_ clear in his verbal attack against her. She panicked under the thundering voice and the red-flushed face singling her out in the entire coffeehouse much to her mortification, and before she knew it, she scrambled to make the correct drink with shaky hands... only to fail again. By the third attempt, the manager stopped her, made the correct drink for the irate customer, and calmly fired her, citing that she was too skittish to be a responsible employee.

She didn't protest nor ask for a second chance, she just walked out without defending herself, being used to similar let-downs in past jobs. If only she wasn't so ridiculously passive and timid, why can't she even stand up for herself? Life would probably be easier if she just took a stand, but it was a terrifying prospect completely unfamiliar to her; how would she accomplish that?

She was supposed to become a respected scientist, damn it! It would have made her life a million times better!

But... whatever... She supposed she deserved it...

Back to the present, she tested her smile at the mirror. At least her teeth were straight and clean... If only people weren't so shallow with appearances, they might consider her cute, right?

She dressed in her favorite oversized maroon turtleneck, cargo-pants that would last a while before she bought a new pair, and a pair of discount boots.

Lexi sighed.

Just one more day in her life.

The turtleneck was itchy due to poor laundering, and she scratched at her neck, feeling the black pearl necklace she always wore on person. She pulled it out to examine.

It was a very rare piece of jewelry that hailed from Earth, and thus would be considered very valuable if she sold it to the right buyer. It might make her living condition more bearable, but she couldn't bear to lose the necklace - it was a gift from her mother as a family heirloom passed down from their colonial ancestors. It served as the only surviving physical reminder of her past life, it was too precious to surrender. If she sold the necklace, then she would disrespect the memory of her family and be a terrible daughter.

The black-haired woman shuffled out of her apartment and descended down to the lobby in search of the billboard, where job applications are frequently posted to take advantage of cheap labor from desperate refugees who haven't managed to crawl out of poverty or recently fled from the ongoing conflicts across the sector. So surely she had a lot of options to choose from, right?

In reality, there were not enough jobs for the mass influx of refugees, whose numbers now exceeded the market demand for cheap labor. With so many people desperate for work, it was easy for employers to lower their wages, as even the lowest income will still attract the most desperate of refugees. As for Lexi, she barely managed to secure her last job; more than half the time she tried to apply, she was out-competed by the fierce competition.

As for now, a large gathering of people had mobbed the billboard in search for whatever few jobs were now hiring, and the tiny oriental girl struggled to worm past the mob.

Relatively speaking, very few Tarsonians survived their homeworld's fall, and fewer migrated to Korhal. She could at least connect with her fellow refugees in these unbearable conditions, but now most of them had moved on. A majority of the people living in this cramped apartment came from other war-stricken colonies, like the Sara systems. It only added to her loneliness; she didn't know anyone here.

Except one.

Someone tapped her shoulder, Lexi jumped and yelped in fright.

"Jeez. Calm down, Miss Nguyen."

Lexi Nguyen devolved into a nervous wreck when she spotted who it was.

Knox Hamilton was perhaps the only Tarsonian she personally knew. A tall, handsome, blonde man. He was the cliche popular kid when they went to the same elementary school all the way until their high school graduation, when he parted ways to attend a Confederate Military Academy. It was a miracle that he managed to survive and ended up in the same refugee camp as her.

"Kn-Knox," she croaked, "What do- *yawn*, What do you want?"

 _Crap!_ She sounded annoyed! She wasn't annoyed! She was more than happy to have a conversation with a familiar face.

"Miss Nguyen, I just want to ask how you're doing."

"Oh...," she plastered on a smile for the sake of cordiality, and she didn't want to worry the busy Hamilton. "I'm doing fine."

 _'Rent's almost due. I'm unemployed. My family's still dead... Perfectly fine.'_

"That's good to hear. Now, I was wondering you were looking for a job... again?"

Of course he knew about her uselessness... It seems like he was about to offer her an opportunity, but what's the point if she's just going to screw up as usual? It would be very rude to shoot him down though, so she answered, "Y-yes?"

Knox smiled, "Would you like to join me for some coffee so we could discuss a potential job application? I think it will suit your particular set of skills."

Lexi shook her head, "H-hold on! You don't have to go and buy me coffee-."

He raised his hand to stop her, "I insist. Don't worry about money for now, Miss Nguyen. I now work for the Dominion military under General Warfield."

"Oh," Lexi gave a genuine smile, "Congratulations."

"Mhm, now. I know a good place where we can talk and enjoy some roasted coffee."

* * *

Knox bought both of them coffee and some pound bread iced with some sort of fruit flavor grown from Agria. The strong coffee smell wafted under Lexi's nose, but she just didn't feel like drinking, and only took a few sips to show some appreciation for his purchase.

The blonde man began, "So as I said, I work for General Warfield. He's a really great guy by the way. Recently the Emperor himself placed Warfield in charge of a special, top secret project, and the old man assigned me to recruit talented minds. Scientists of various fields, and I thought you might be suitable for the task."

She was good-to-honest touched that he bothered to remember her field of study, smiling weakly. But then she thought, "Suitable because I never completed my degree? I think they'd rather hire actual qualified scientists rather than me..."

"You're intelligent, Miss Nguyen. And while the project demands the best minds, I'm able to squeeze you in based on your merit."

"Even though the only jobs I could ever snag are behind cashiers and fast food joints? This sounds... too good to be true. What is this project?"

"It's classified information. You're not allowed to know until you've signed the contract and move to the project facility. You need not worry about the details, but the pay check is _very_ gererous. Doesn't that sound good?"

Lexi's weary mind struggled to consider her options. She felt a little pressured, "Sounds sketchy... I just don't know, Knox..."

Knox sighed, and Lexi was suddenly afraid that she was testing his patience. He tilted his head and looked straight at her, "I'll tell you about the project, will that help you consider joining."

"Definitely."

He leaned closer to whisper, causing Lexi to blush - no one outside her family ever got that close. He spoke in a hushed voice, "We've recently discovered a new gas resource in a Protoss shrine on Demon's Fair, we call it 'terrazine'. According to translations from protoss hieroglyphs, it's a powerful substance that enhances the psionic potential of their warriors, and we've actually tested it on a ghost. His psi-index increased by one point, which is huge for ghosts."

She stirred her cup with a spoon in thought, "So it's a naturally-occurring stimulant. Sounds like the military's wonder drug."

"Yes. However, he and some of the miners on Demon's Fair began to exhibit some... 'erratic behavior' after some exposure. Mengsk commissioned Project Shadowblade to see if we could refine usage of the gas for reliable military applications. Imagine if, using this gas, we could cultivate a larger force of psionic warriors, maybe even a whole army! We can stop the aliens from burning our homes if we can unlock the psionic potential of our race!"

The idea _seemed_ good to Lexi, but she did not feel fully on-board with the same enthusiasm. She's seen firsthand what a powerful ghost could do against a few protoss, but didn't the protoss have an entire population of deadly psionic warriors? Their psionic mastery had no parallel, and their technology still made the Terrans look like neanderthals in comparison. But what if they had an army of ghosts to stop the protoss?...

It's futile, she thought. Tarsonis was a battleground where a select group of Terrans managed to go toe-to-toe with the protoss, but that's the problem - it was a battle, not a fiery massacre where the protoss actually glassed the planet from orbit like they did with Chau Sara. What could the Terrans or Arcturus actually do to stop the protoss if they warp over Korhal today and burned the entire planet from the sky? She would be hopeless to stop them.

And the Zerg... the sheer ferocity of their terrible bloodlust _can not_ be underestimated. What can a few thousand ghosts do when billions upon billions of zerg descend from the sky, slaughter everyone, maybe even infest the most unfortunate of survivors?

She'd rather kill herself than be infested by those monsters... dying by her own means doesn't seem so bad.

The black-haired girl blinked and shook her head, taking a more generous slurp from her coffee.

Knox continued, "So obviously, when we're dealing with the effects of drugs on the Terran mind, we're going to need specialists in that field, such as neuro-psychologists like you. If you join and do well, this job alone will lift you out of your poverty situation."

"Knox," she croaked weakly, "I'm flattered that you offered me this great chance, but I really don't think I can do it. Every time I try to do well at a task, even if it's just brewing a cup of coffee, I screw up. It's terrible, I just can't do things correct and consistently anymore, and now I'm expected to take on a very advanced scientific position, without any prior experience or even a completed degree to back me up? I just... I don't know..."

The blonde man clicked his tongue, "That's rather disheartening to hear. I did go through a lot of trouble just to make this available to you."

"W-what do you mean?"

"All the stuff I just told you was supposed to be Level-Nine Classification. The only reason I know this is because Warfield trusts me... that crazy magnificent bastard, and I thought you might want to know. I could get in a lot of trouble if someone found out."

"Oh my god. I didn't kno-"

"KNOX!~"

A familiar sense of dread filled Lexi's voice, and she reflexively ducked her head, "Oh no..."

Two light-skinned arms, decked out in exquisite rings and bracelets wrapped themselves around Knox's neck, and he turned to face the owner's face with a smile, "Christy, good to see you today."

The appearance of Christabella Dalton was far from desirable for Lexi, who shrunk further as if she could avoid the brunette's notice. Dressed in an opulent blue dress, and sporting a clean dark brown bob cut, Christabella might have looked gorgeous if she didn't invoke a suffocating anxiety in Lexi's heart and mind.

And so she remained silent as Christabella cooed, her red lips expelling breaths of air to tickle Knox's ear. "What are you doing here, Knoxy darling? I thought you said you were at work."

"Technically, I am. I'm helping my boss hire some people for a classified project," he motioned to Lexi, "Do you remember Lexi?"

Lexi flinched when Christabella eyeballed her with cold-blue eyes, "Yes darling. I remember her... we all used to go to the same school on together." She looked to Knox, "My father wants you to see him again."

"Really? Can it wait?"

"You can't make a man wait on business ventures darling. He fished you out of the gutter because our families are friends, show some appreciation," she urged him with tugging. "Come on, dear!"

"Alright, fine," he jested. Then he faced Lexi, "Consider the offer, would ya?"

"S-sure..."

Knox took his leave, but Christabella did not follow. She placed a hand on her hip and shook her head, "What are you doing, Lex?"

"Nothing much," she deadpanned.

"You know, Lex. If you had the looks and the know-how to make some friends and not be a complete social failure, you might have ended up like me." She continued to boast, "I got friends in high places on Korhal who appreciate my looks and my smarts."

"Yeah, you were partying here while everyone else was dying on Tarsonis," snapped Lexi with a raspy throat.

"That's what you get for being a Confederate bitch~."

"Shut up! It's not like I nuked Korhal!"

"So maybe you didn't drop the nukes. But what are you now? Still useless and alone. All that time spent studying, pretending to be a scholar? Wasted! You think you're so smart? Do you know why Knox wanted to give you that job?"

It was a trap, Lexi knew it, but she was still curious and hoping that Christabella would leave her alone if she complied - that sometimes worked when they were children, "Why?..."

"He pities you. He's disgusted by your constant self-pity. I don't know what this job is, but the only reason you're getting such a good one is because he pities you. You can't get a hold of anything, so he gave you the easy way out because you're useless. And what happens next if you get that job? You'll fuck it up again?"

"What's wrong with you?!" snapped Lexi, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because I'm sick of seeing parasites like you try to play off the goodwill of others."

Lexi jumped out of her chair and stomped away fuming.

With the coffeehouse mostly empty, Christabella called out. "If you're tired of failing and being a nuisance, why don't you jump off a roof! It's not that hard!"

She ducked when a salt-shaker flew over her head, and smirked in satisfaction.

* * *

And here was Lexi, on the roof of the towering apartment building housing thousands of fellow refugees.

She actually came here to cool down and vent her frustrations in private. Only when she was alone could she repeatedly slam the wall near the stair entrance with her fists, or occasionally her forehead, without making anyone concerned for her wel-being.

There was one memory of her childhood, when Christabella and her sleazy friends made fun of Lexi's fuzzy hair. Her brother witnessed her angrily try to rip out her hair, and it caused her parents to freak out. Ever since they sat her down and issued a complaint to the school, she made sure to keep her tantrums a secret.

After blowing off some steam, she just felt tired... _dead tired._ All the anger and frustration welled to its peak before it came crashing down in a teary fit.

So Knox only pitied her. Who wouldn't pity someone as useless as her? The only ones who she would accept pity from were Tom and their parents, but they're gone, forever. Her family is dead.

She cursed the Zerg. She cursed the Protoss.

And she remembered vividly Tom's burnt body, mutilated by that dragoon.

"FUCK THE PROTOSS!"

She wasn't used to cursing, but she didn't care anymore. Why should she care? With tears falling off her chin, her fist crashed into the steel wall.

A splitting pain of cracked knuckles snapped her down to total exhaustion. She couldn't rage at life anymore, she was too tired. And so she leaned against the wall with her arm, nursing her injured hand.

The pain was horrible, but it only hurt the worst when her fist made contact with the hard steel wall.

Would it hurt just as bad if her head made contact with the concrete ground hundreds of feet below? At least it would be over instantly...

As if in a trance, she felt her legs move until she stood at the very edge of the rooftop. The wind was a little strong, as if it were trying to push her off-balance so she could fall.

She stared down the great height.

It doesn't seem so bad... What's the point of life if aliens are going to kill them all anyway? Even if the constant threat of invasion wasn't hovering over her mind, she can't even succeed in a normal life. She's weak, submissive, useless. A burden to everyone. An embarrassment to take care of. If she suddenly disappeared... she probably wouldn't be missed.

And at least she'll be with her family again. No Zerg. No Protoss. Just whatever afterlife that would accept scientist types like her...

She continued to stare down.

Something flipped.

Her heart jumpstarted back to life.

 _That's a long way down!_

It was as if fear grabbed her turtleneck from behind and pulled her back. She fell onto her rear, the sight of the harrowing drop now only a chilling memory.

 _Jesus fucking Christ. What was she thinking? Was she actually going to-..._

She's pathetic. Weak. She can't even decide if she wants to keep on living or not! Stupid stupid stupid!

But for now, she was too afraid to try. So she ran to the safety of the elevator near the stairway entrance, and fled to the comfort of her room, where she plopped onto her bed for a restless night.

Knox's offer was still fresh in her mind. She might as well give it a try...

* * *

 **-Elsewhere-**

General Horace Warfield, dressed in his formal uniform, poured a glass of Torus wine and held it out, "Here son, have a drink."

Knox Hamilton nodded his thanks and took the glass, "What is your decision, sir?"

Warfield chuckled lightly, "Emperor Mengsk himself put me in charge of Project Shadowblade. He and I are close, and I'm trusted to get the job well done. Allowing some nobody to get on board with the project sounds hella foolish to me."

"But that's the thing. Lexi Nguyen is a nobody. She has no family nor substantial history. If the project were to ever be... terminated, the fallout will be nonexistence. No one would miss her if she disappeared."

"Sounds harsh, coming from you."

"It's simply fact. Either she tries her luck swimming in this project, or she sinks."

"Does she have any credentials?"

"At least three years studying neuro-psychology," the blonde man smiled, "It sounds like you're considering it, General."

The aging man rubbed his stubble and sighed, "You're lucky we still have positions available, and the fact that you're the son of the best damn soldier I've ever had the pleasure of working with."

"Father was an amazing man, sir."

"Damn straight. I guess I owe you both in that case. Alright son, I'll make room for your lady friend."

"Thank you, General."

* * *

 **-Demon's Fair-**

"You've made the right choice, Miss Nguyen," said Knox. "If you keep this up for a few months, you should find yourself with satisfactory financial security."

Lexi chuckled weakly, "Yes... that does sound good."

She accepted the offer, signed a contract, and jumped into the shuttle with Knox to Demon's Fair. The tropical jungle planet was largely uninhabited, save for the recently established remote research facility meant for Project Shadowblade.

Lexi was introduced to the chief scientist Dr. Luitpold, a bony yet intimidating white-haired man with a cybernetic monocle where his left eye should be. Their first meeting is where her first problem started.

"What is the meaning of this?..." his gruff voice grumbled while flipping through a folder containing Lexi's official records. "Refugee from Tarsonis, highest formal education being a high school diploma, unrecognized by _any_ other scientific institution!" He snapped the folder shut, waving it angrily whilst glaring at Knox. "Is this a joke? The most advanced scientific endeavor on a Level-Nine classification, with only a small team to work on this entire project, and you give me this loser?"

She reflexively cowered behind Knox under the outburst, and the latter spoke calmly, "Warfield approved her at my recommendation, so it doesn't matter what you say. She has enough experience in the neuroscience field to aid in the project."

Dr. Luitpold simply grumbled in defeat, " _Warfield..._ Hero of Torus, but he doesn't know a damn thing about research!" He looked to Lexi with disdain, "Did you sign the contract?"

Nervousness rippled through Lexi's spine - she hadn't bothered to read the contract before signing it. Was that bad? She pushed up her glasses and stuttered, "Y-Yes..."

The elder man sighed, "Fine. I guess we can find _some_ use for you." He caressed his chin in thought, "Neuroscience?"

"Neuro-psychology," she squeaked, tugging skittishly at her puffy braid.

"There may be a position simple enough for someone of your inadequate caliber. Just in time for the unveiling of our latest asset." He turned and walked into the facility, "You may follow me."

Lexi looked to Knox, who spoke, "My job is done here. Everything is classified, so we won't be seeing each other until you're released."

"I see. Thanks, Knox."

He saluted, "Take care, Miss Nguyen."

And so he left. Lexi raced after Dr. Luitpold and followed his steps. As she eyeballed her surroundings, she spoke, "What exactly do you have in mind for me?"

The tall scientist turned his back to stare her down with his green ocular monocle and a single silver eye, "How much have you caught up with the latest protoss research?"

"O-Oh... Uh- Not at all?..."

He bared his teeth. "Tsk..."

 _'How can a man with sunken cheeks have such a deep voice?'_ thought Lexi. Buff up his muscles, and he'd look more like a gruff old soldier than a man of science.

Dr. Luitpold spoke, "As you may already know. Project Shadowblade is purposed to study the effects of the terrazine gas on terran psychics, with the aim to enhance their psionic potential. Who knows, maybe we can figure out how to turn me into a telepath," He chuckled darkly, and Lexi could only mimic his laughter sheepishly. He continued, "So in general, we specialize in psionics. But there is so little we know about the protoss and their extraordinary psionic powers. So in addition to Terrans, we are going to be studying the protoss as well?"

Dread filled Lexi's heart, and she was reduced to a stuttering fit. "P-Pr-Protoss? You're t-telling me you guys g-got a protoss?"

The old man snarled in annoyance, his patience wearing thin, "What? You think you can study the neural functions of a brain-dead protoss cadaver? Of course we have a live specimen you twat!"

"Oh jeez. Oh god. I uh... What did you want me to do?"

"Ask questions later. I'm giving you context first."

They entered a spacious room populated only a dozen scientist. Most of them seemed older than her, and they watched her arrival with confusion. It made Lexi want to become invisible - they were surely judging her, she didn't belong here!

But what stood out was a large holding pen that extended from the wall, with thick geometric frames that comprised the cage, a blast-door at the center, and reinforced blast-covers over where she assumed were glass.

Lexi gulped, "Is there a protoss in that cell?"

"Just listen to my lecture." He left her to stand in front of the holding pen, and coughed to catch the scientists' attention. "Now everyone listen closely. We have in here a live protoss specimen. Very dangerous, very nasty bugger. This creature is nothing like the dead samples you've had the luxury to safely study. If you don't want to get mind-raped if he even so much as looks at you, then I expect each and everyone of you to follow some simple safety procedures."

He banged the blast-door with his fist, "The holding pen is reinforced and shielded by psi-screens, so as long as you keep the specimen completely contained, he will not turn your brains to mush. Now... I will show you the specimen."

Morbid curiosity pulled Lexi to stand closer to the holding pen with the other scientists, but she made sure to stand right behind them - it made her feel more safe.

The blast-covers were raised from the glass, revealing nothing but a shadowy interior. Lexi rubbed her glasses just to try and squint into the darkness. The room on their side was already rather dim, but they couldn't see more than a few feet.

She actually stepped past the other scientists to take a closer look.

Where was it?

Two orbs appeared in the dark.

It was a split second warning before the shadows were pierced by red light. Small crimson sparks of lighting coursed through a white form that pounced against the glass with a feral roar. It crashed into the protective barrier, rattling the glass at its seams. Lexi tripped backwards with a shriek and scrambled away, keeping her eyes completely fixed on the animal before her.

A snow-white protoss, screaming its alien dialect with sharp knife-like words, rabid clicks, and chilling hisses. It battered and clawed the glass with its claws, raking angry white scars along the reinforced material. It continued to howl and curse at them as it ran along the glass walls, continuing to test its prison with ramming and more scratching.

It apparently had been trying to escape for a while - almost the entirety of the glass walls were riddled with claw marks.

The albino protoss himself, she assumed the howling voice was masculine, was almost naked save for prison pants and a large contraption, with a glowing circle, strapped around its chest. His skin was disgustingly marred with countless scars, especially blood-curdling deep carvings of protoss symbols in the skin of his back and shoulders.

It prowled like a caged tiger eyeing up its captors as if they were fresh meat, with its long nerve cords tailing behind. Seeing a protoss up-close, even behind reinforced glass, made her freeze in blind panic. She had yet to stand up again. The protoss she remembered were terrifying because of their mysterious and powerful aura, like alien gods that could cruelly decide her fate at a whim. This violent, chaotic animal was nothing like she expected. With his spine visible along the hunched back, and body so skinny that the ribs were visible and the belly had collapsed, so many disturbing analogies could be applied to him. An white ghoul or ghost with no face around the sunken red eyes. An animated corpse whose skin had decayed to paleness. An overgrown version of the grey alien Old-Earth humans used to fantasize over in the past. He even resembled an starving feral man who never saw daylight and walked like a savage cannibal.

She barely heard Dr. Luitpold over her heart's deep pounding in her eardrums, "Oh, just throwing it in: Leave the sun lamp on. Protoss biology one-oh-one!: they subsist on light, people! Don't ask how his freaky alien biology allows him to defy the square-cube law and surface-to-volume ratio as a purely photosynthetic large _animal_ organism with a body that obviously consumes large quantities of energy. All he needs is water vapor and light to survive in this cell."

He pulled out a remote, "Do you see the device attached over his torso? This is how we keep him in line!" He pressed one of the buttons, causing _normal_ electrical shocks to stun the albino protoss into submission. It cursed vehemently as the foreign electrical discharges disrupted his muscles. Satisfied, Dr. Luitpold continued, "The device's electroshock function is strong enough to disable his muscles, use this when you want to examine him up-close. It also includes psi-dampeners, terrazine injections for experiment purposes, and a kill-switch. Using these, along with proper protective gear, and you can safely study this fascinating specimen alive."

He then inserted a psi-screen into his ear, walked up to the blast door, and began punching in a password into the door switch. "Now I will show you a 'sneak peak' at what happens if you fail to obey simply safety instructions!"

Lexi froze in dread of what she thought was coming, and one of the scientists protested, "Wait! What are you doing?!"

Luitpold flashed a wicked smile, "I will only respect scientists that can learn from experience on the job!" He activated the switch, the blast door slowly opened and stopped to allow a small, open breach.

The protoss immediately noticed. It curled its arms inward as it channeled psionic energy through its nerve cords, now floating and coursing with red-lightning.

She suddenly hear a sharp ringing in her mind. Before she could try to comprehend the phenomenon, Lexi's pupils contracted.

* * *

 _A snake plunges its fangs into the lungs and spinal cord of a mouse. Its dying squeaks were quickly silenced._

 _A Tarsonis lyote takes down a much smaller dog, biting and snapping the neck of the begging canine._

 _Some glowing alien lizard/dog(?) was being chased by a larger black-skinned, muscular predator in some wild, primal jungle. The small, glowing creature was bravely defiant, but after a tense chase, the larger,_ stronger _predator pounced and slammed its kill against the ground. Bones crushed. Dying screams. The sick sound of teeth tearing into flesh. Death soon followed._

 _The visions grew more disturbing._

 _She was looking behind a marine's visor. She heard explosions and gunfire, and saw dirt flying everwhere, but what stood out most was a man's shrill screams as a skull-faced zergling hacked and clawed at his mutilated chest. His only salvation from the savage creature's onslaught was an agonizing death by fire._

 _A familiar dragoon stared her down over a field of rubble, its blue mechanical eye emotionless as a ball of white-hot anti-particles incinerated her body in a searing explosion._

 _Then there was Christabella._

 _Instead of blue eyes as cold as a barren ocean, she sported glowing red eyes like blood set aflame, but the cruel wicked smile was still the same. Cackling that same condescending laughter, the taller woman yanked at Lexi's braid, tossing her to the ground._

 _Lexi could only stare up helplessly as Christabella leaned forward and whispered, "Poor helpless Lexi. A little rabbit among wolves." She flashed a fanged smile, "You're going to die..."_

* * *

DANGER.

WARNING.

SHE'S BEING HUNTED.

RUN AWAY.

Raw instinctual fear overtook her rational mind, she screamed

Warning signals hijacked her brain, sending her scrambling back on her feet twoards the exit. An unnatural terror had flooded her mind, somehow _knowing_ that if she didn't run from the protoss... she would die in so many horrible ways

Most of the scientists experienced similar reactions and suddenly fled in noisy panic, trying to get as far away from the protoss in the holding pen as possible.

Lexi ran straight for the exit.

Her face crashed against something she couldn't see, it felt like an invisible hand, which pushed her down.

A comforting reflex momentarily trumped The Fear - Lexi quickly checked if her glass was bent. Whoever blocked her suddenly uncloaked.

It looked like a ghost, given the hostile-environment suit she wore. A tall, dark-skinned woman with messy brown hair, her black eyes scrutinized Lexi's prone body. Her face was emotionless, then it glowed with a coy smirk, and she held a finger to her lips. "Shh~. No need to scream, there's nothing to fear."

As quickly as The Fear came, it suddenly dissipated as an unpleasant memory. Dr. Luitpold was the only one unaffected thanks to his psi-screen, and he quickly closed the blast-door. "Now you all have received an unsavory taste of what the protoss can do to screw you all over a hundred times! If it weren't for Corona's own psionic counter, you all would have far worse reactions... with permanent consequences."

Lexi stared listlessly as the crazy Luitpold lectured, but then a gloved hand caught her attention. Corona offered her hand with a light smile, "You're going to just sit there?"

Her hand was still shaking from the experience as she took Corona's kind offer. She almost yelped when the taller woman lifted her to a standing position with surprising ease. "Th-thank you."

Corona nodded curtly. As Luitpold continued to speak, she spoke, "I see you've met Carnivek."

Lexi tested the alien name on her tongue, "Carnivek? You mean the protoss?"

"That's his name. It's part of whatever info I managed to fish out of his fucked up brain. Mind-reading the protoss is a monumental feat, even for me, but with some drugs and a lot of arm-twisting, you can get anyone to spill the beans."

The shorter girl hissed, "Th-That sounds brutal."

Corona shrugged, "Just doing my job. He refuses to speak to us telepathically, so don't expect a conversation from him." Her pure black eyes bore into Lexi, it was impossible to distinguish between the iris and pupil, creating an unsettling effect despite the ghost's cordial impression. "You're a shy one, aren't you?"

"I guess?..."

Corona answered Lexi's silent question, "Telepath."

"Ah... r-right."

Luitpold suddenly called out to them, "The ghost, Corona, will be our fail-safe should the specimen pose a serious security hazard. She is the one responsible for capturing the protoss alive!"

Said ghost waved her hand dismissively, "Yeah sure, you're welcome."

"Hm. An unusually vibrant personality for a mind-altered ghost, but nonetheless, thanks to her mind-probing interrogations we were able to discover the terrazine's true purpose. Project Shadowblade would never have been conceived if Corona did not successfully capture the protoss. And now I will conclude this lecture. If you all had common sense, you'd better damn remember every word I've spoken!"

With that said, the scientists dispersed. Dr. Luitpold then called out, "Nguyen! Come here for a second!"

Lexi was hesitant on approaching the holding pen, but Corona's light push urged her onward. She stopped perilously close to the blast-door, and Luitpold spoke, "I am assigning you to this specimen."

Her face paled, "M-Me?"

"What did I just say? Yes you! While most of everyone else will work on the more important task of synergizing the terrazine with the ghosts, you will monitor the protoss in this holding pen at all times. Watch his vitals, his behavioral patterns, record everything you find. But the most important thing is that you keep an eye on him. Should be a reasonable task for someone with only a high school diploma..."

Lexi paused for a moment before dreadfully accepting the task, "Ok..."

"Excellent," He wiped his ocular monocle, "You will receive various assignments from the team studying the protoss, doing whatever it is they need." He tossed her a key, "You're smart enough to find the living quarters. No comm transmissions, holonet access, or any contact with the outside world for the duration of the project... only science!"

"Right. Uh, what about the paycheck?"

"Paycheck? Did you read the contract?"

She sweat-dropped, "...No..."

Dr. Luitpold glared at her, "Young adults these days... We will receive our pay when the project is over. Until then, all your living conditions with be provided by the facility. Honestly, people without college degrees or any sense of of self-responsibility shouldn't receive such promising opportunities such as yours. As for now, why don't you get yourself acquainted with your surroundings?"

Luitpold walked away, "Remember. Never let the protoss out of it's cage!"

"F-For sure!"

For a while, Lexi stood there, not sure what to do. Now it was only her, Corona, and the protoss...

Corona was still staring at her with a blank, expectant expression, which only made Lexi more nervous. She realized that she actually had to initiate the conversation, "Uhh. Hello, Corona."

"Hello."

"Yeah, hi. I guess I'll introduce myself?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry, my name's Lexi."

"Corona."

"That's a c-cute name."

"Sure,"

 _'I HATE AWKWARD SMALL TALKS,'_ groaned Lexi mentally.

Corona snickered, "Don't worry, you're doing alright."

"How did you- Oh, right."

"You're upset about something. What's wrong?"

Lexi was definitely caught off-guard at the sympathy the ghost was showing, who probably already knew what was plaguing her mind, but still insisted that she admit it herself. Corona seemed... disarming, and Lexi felt comfortable enough to answer, "That guy was right. I don't deserve to be here. I probably got way over my head when I chose to join the project... I don't even know what I'm supposed to do or if I'll do it correctly."

The dark-skinned woman pondered for a moment, "It's best not to worry about it. You're here already, and you can't change that."

"I-I guess."

"You're afraid of the protoss?"

She answered without hesitation, "Yes."

Corona looked back where Lexi wouldn't dare see, and saw the albino protoss continue to pace along the glass, staring them down impatiently. Smirking, she reached out her hand and telekinetically retrieved the remote, then pressed the button.

More electric discharges zapped the protoss, earning roars of rage as he distanced himself away from the glass. He scratched uselessly at the device firmly attached to his chest before resuming his livid pacing.

Corona flashed her wry smile at Lexi, "Do you see that? There's nothing to fear. You know why?" She placed the remote in Lexi's hand, "Because you are in control over him. So relax~. Maybe give that button a try."

It seemed cruel, _too_ cruel, even for the protoss, "Maybe later."

The ghost shrugged, "Whatever. Anyway, I have my own advice for you." She planted a hand on Lexi's shoulder and leaned in so Lexi had a close-up view of her onyx eyes, "Don't stare at Carnivek's eyes for too long. Bad things happen when you do that." Then she too walked away.

A shrill scratching noise spooked Lexi, who saw the albino, Carnivek, tracing one jagged line with his index finger along the glass.

He cackled at her reaction before returning to his pacing around the holding pen, always watching her with his predatory watch.

She turned her head away and resolved to just examine the scientific equipment around her.

* * *

 **A/N:** When you say you'll write a 1-2 chapter long flashback for We Stand Unified but end up starting a whole new story.

I've always wanted to write my own story chronicling the adventures of a Terran and Protoss duo trying to survive the various conflicts across the sector while they each teach the other new ideas from their respective ubringings and philosophies. Seeing a protoss enjoying the wonder that is coffee is just the tip of the iceberg for all the neat human things we may sometimes take for granted. However, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to sustain two stories at the same time, (Not to mention I still have So What Now?). So for now this story can just be considered a flashback extension for WSU so I don't break the flow for the latter. If people like this concept, I'll certainly try to write out of the full story I've already planned out from beginning to end.

Also FYI, I'm not used to writing angst, or emotional turmoil in general. Sadly I'm more used to writing actions you'd see in epics like LOTR or the Starcraft games than from works that focus more on emotions. I could use some guidance and pointers along the way if anyone is inclined.

Does anyone remember that one secret mission in Wings of Liberty, where Raynor leads a squad to destroy Mengsk's secret hybrid facility? I imagine William's holding pen to be the same as the ones that held the zerg and the protoss prisoners, and the device strapped to William's chest is identical to the ones you see on said protoss prisoners. There has to be a purpose for those large glowing metal contraptions.

 **Also, if anyone has any ideas for exploring protoss biology, feel free to leave a suggestion!**

This story is a prequel to We Stand Unified and tells the story of Lexi and William's development, starting from Project Shadowblade to the end of Heart of the Swarm. Please read and leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2: The Myth of Happiness

**A/N:** A prequel to We Stand Unified, with the first few chapters doubling as flashbacks that would begin right after Chapter 19 of WSU.

* * *

 **"The Pursuit of Happiness"**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Myth of Happiness**

* * *

Lexi stood aimlessly with apprehensive eyes, spinning around to find herself surrounded by a deep, impenetrable plume of purple gas. The alien substance seemed to form a cage that trapped her in this harrowing void. She tentatively reached out to touch the gas, but like an incorporeal entity it did not respond to her hand disturbing the air, her body seemed to phase through.

She was used to solitude, but not total isolation. With no memory of how she even got here, her anxiety was already skyrocketing as she hastily walked in a random direction hoping to escape the fog.

Her ears were suddenly aware of her boots thud on solid, weathered brickwork paths. Was she on a path? She circled around looking for the sidelines of the road, but there was seemingly no end or form to the brickwork; just bricks as far as the eye can see.

She clutched her chest in a feeble attempt to control her hyperventilation, ' _Okay! Just keep calm. You're a scientist, Lexi! There has to be some sort of logical explanation for me being here.'_

The lack of said explanation only freaked her out more.

 _Clink_

It came from the fog.

 _Clink_

Something's out there. The sharp clicking of metal against the rough brick. Footsteps

 _Clink_

And it's closing in towards her, emitting a suffocating aura of terror that froze her heart and body, yet instilling her a cold-burning desire to flee.

 _"Face me, simian."_

She startled when the voice of a young man pierced the fog, but it echoed with an alien power over the bite of its harsh words,

Red eyes pierced the gaseous veil, and the dams of her resolve broke. She scrambled on the brick floor and fled.

"Why are you running away, sister?"

Lexi froze at the new voice and turned with wide eyes.

There stood Thomas, dressed in the same clothes as the day Tarsonis fell, staring at her with betrayal, disappointment, and... which hurt her to see the most, disgust.

Thomas, the closest companion she ever had who never looked down on her, was giving her a look of upmost contempt.

All rational thoughts flew out of Lexi's head. Her baby brother was alive, but.. "Thomas? What're you-"

"After all the kindness I've given to you, and you left me to die."

It hurt to hear him speak with such hate, and even more so knowing he spoke the truth. "T-Tom, I'm sorry. I didn't"

A large, black-metal clawed hand snapped out of the fog and clamped roughly over Thomas' relatively diminutive skull, eliciting a scream of agony as the claws dug into his scalp and began crushing his cranium.

Lexi jerked forward towards his plea, but froze again when the blood-red eyes flashed again. The albino protoss she was assigned to watch and study prowled forward, encased in black-metal armor that seemed to absorb what little light existed into it and was adorned with various spikes and sharp edges.

"Well... _monkey_ ," He jostled Thomas forward, still gripping his head tightly in one hand and dragging his small feet off the ground. He spoke jeeringly, "This is your kin?"

Afraid for what he might do if she didn't comply, Lexi simply nodded.

It suddenly occurred to her he might not have understood her bodily gesture, for he snarled and barked, instantly switching his slow taunting tone with the voice of clashing metal, "SPEAK UP!"

She shuddered under his fury, "Y-Y-Yes." She took several quivering breaths. "He's my brother."

His eyes moved independently from his head, swiveling between them as his skull tilted in though. "It's true then?..." His vocal derision intensified, "You abandoned your blood-kin to _die._ "

Lexi's brow twitched. Hot indignation began to burn through the still-overbearing chills of fear in her chest. "W-What? N-No." She pointed a daring finger at the protoss, even as it shook violently. "You killed him."

Yes. Her baby brother was murdered by the protoss. This black-armored devil is protoss.

The foggy void echoed with a cross between manic giggles and raucous cackling, "Me? Kill this infant?" He craned his neck lower to examine Thomas' face up close. "I have no recollection of slaughtering this particular one. That can easily be fixed."

He relinquished his grip only to snap his claws over Thomas' head again, causing the young boy to yell a drawn out cry as the fingers compressed against his brain-case. The newtons slowly built up, sickly crackling ensued and the boy's scream became choked and strained as his face slowly became blank and his struggling limbs began to twitch limp.

The fear was so present it was like a solid straitjacket holding her in place, but she can't take it anymore! A year of guilt and sorrow broke the spell as she grabbed a steel blade that somehow materialized from the fog and charged the protoss blindly.

The albino tossed Thomas carelessly to the side where his body dissolved into purple gas. Before Lexi's mind could register anything, his metal claws clamped around her now useless blade and held it tight no matter how hard she budged. The protoss didn't even need to apply any force to twist the blade down as Lexi's arms grew slack and she stared up, the fear once again slamming down on her like an unforgiving hammer. Never before had she felt so overpowered, so helpless in the face of a terrible being with a face masking wicked intent. Christabella was domineering, but she had _no power_ compared to the towering alien forcing her feeble attack into submission.

She swore the alien's faced twisted to mild amusement, "An admirable attempt at bravery... yet." His face contorted to unveiled disgust and contempt, "You surrendered so easily the moment adversity halted your attack! Spineless craven animal!"

Lexi only saw a raised claw hand before her senses were overwhelmed with mind-shattering pain. Her neck snapped the very instant sharp, fleshy, cold, burning pain ripped across her face, digging through the bones of her eye-sockets, nasal bones, and teeth. She spun once before her torn face splattered against the abrasive brickwork. Even as her senses were overloaded with agony, she was lifelessly still. She could still hear the protoss speaking... almost to himself.

"Pathetic. It seems your species is just as primitive as the other races... devoted to their fellow kin to a fault, but weak on their own; their emotions easily exploited. Your strength came from attachments to your brother, but the moment that was taken from you, your will collapsed. Idiot. I can not fathom how your primitive ape minds were able to colonize this sector and actually challenge the protoss, much less capture me! Then again the heretic Firstborn were always so naive in their decadence, and I will not make my same mistake twice..."

"My little test is done... to my utter disappointment. Sadly I must converse with you, even if you are an inadequately primitive mind. _Awaken."_

Lexi shot up to a sitting position grasping at her perfectly healthy face and breathing heavily. Suddenly she seemed entirely aware and conscious of her thoughts and surroundings, and her memory of the past few minutes was incredibly hazy, as if she just woke up from a dream and was fully awake.

Rational thought came crashing down on her. Thomas was dead. Nothing could have changed that. This was all an illusion. A trick.

But why was she here?

She was aware of the protoss standing before her impatiently. Dreadful flashbacks of her painful mutilation nearly drove her to run, but it seemed he would carry some answers if he wasn't just another part of the illusion. "Where am I?"

The albino's biting voice reverberated throughout the void, "Of course your mental will is so lacking you do not even recognize I invaded your mind. We are in _your Dreamscape."_

 _"D-Dreamscape?"_

 _The protoss began to circle her like a predator sizing up his kill, "We stand_ within _your mind, molded by my psionic presence. In the tangible realm that is actual reality, you fell slumber."_

 _The circle of clear air widened as the void shifted until they were in a glass prison. Lexi quickly realized they were standing in his containment cell, yet traces of the purple gas still lingered throughout their environment like faint pollution. Stepping closer to the transparent barriers, she could see her bush of hair sleeping on a desk. She had been writing notes._

 _Lexi winced as the glass groaned and screeched when the_ _protoss stabbed his finger against the glass and etched another angry jagged line, "I will assume your species has at least some familiar knowledge of psionics, otherwise this wretched prison would not be lined with psionic screens barring me from the outside world." He held out his claws towards the real Lexi's sleeping form, and clenched them into a frustrated fist, "You monkeys taunt me by being so close, yet so out of reach from all the mental wounds I could inflict on your mind. But here you so foolishly rest, lowering your mental defenses and allowing me to slither what little presence I could project past the screens into your mind unopposed."_

 _So the protoss was in her mind. A dangerous, psychic, mind-reading alien had her hostage inside her own head. She backpedaled towards the inner darkness of the prison to put as much distance from the protoss as she can. It was a sickening experience, like being trapped in a cage with a tiger, and she desperately willed herself to somehow wake up. "What are you going to do to me?"_

 _He glared at her retreating form with a face twisting with growing contempt, "How can one live life with so much fear? But... it is rational to fear me. Pay attention, lest you go deaf from your shuddering bones and clackening teeth! Disgusting orifices..." His metal footsteps, though light, somehow sounded heavy as he stalked towards her, "I needed knowledge, knowledge that I can use to escape this prison, exact my revenge against you_ primitive _peons for trapping me in this unbearably boring cell, and more importantly... deliver vital information to my superiors as justification for my absence."_

 _She suppressed a startled cry when a metal clawed-gauntlet clamped over her head, and she feared that the cold_ sharp _fingers would crush her as they did with fake Thomas. Her hands instinctively reached up to grab onto his wrist as if they could discourage him, he wouldn't budge in the slightest. She squirmed, but made no real effort to resist lest she managed to piss him off. He forcibly titled her head back so she would face his blood-red eyes glowing eerily in the dark, "I scoured whatever I could from your mind undetected, and there is much I can learn of this backwater sector even from an unevolved mongrel such as yourself."_

 _She could feel each finger applying various levels of pressure to test the sturdiness of her skull. He pressed a claw tip from his other hand press against her temple; and traced its sharp edge along her ear; she was sure it drew blood, "What have I learned? Not only has your race contested with the inept Khalai, but you are fighting another alien race. A rabid carelessly destructive infestation of mutating creatures, hm...," the hand trapping her tapped one of its fingers, "What did you call them?"_

 _"Z-Zerg?"_

 _"Ah yes... Zerg," he said, testing the word. Satisfied, he released his grip and she didn't hesitate to back away. "Is that title supposed to intimidate me?"_

 _The ambient gas condensed, shaped itself, and materialized into a hydralisk. Lexi shrieked and pressed her back uselessly against the dark corner, her instinctive reaction persisting even as the new hydralisk remained stationary._

 _The protoss conjured in his hand an unusual hooked polearm cast in pale gray metal, and gouged the hook over the hydralisk's head, just behind the brain case. The creature screamed and thrashed, flailing its tail and scraping its scythe-claws against the prison floor as he shoved the creature's jaws against the ground. "Look at it. Mindless, unintelligent swarming creatures, without direction or self-driving purpose. How has your supposedly sapient species failed to exterminate them? Did they leap up and chew your starships?"_

 _Lexi's still twitchy brows furrowed, partially because the hydralisk was subdued, and partially because the protoss seemed to be missing a few key details, two of them specifically._

 _One, the Zerg. She had enough clarity to realize now this hydralisk was only an illusion, a real hydralisk wouldn't just stand there and take the protoss' abuse. "The Zerg are a terrible nightmare. They don't need to think about how they killed millions of innocent people, without mercy or remorse." Her voice became daringly defiant, only because her next words rang true to the scars that ran deep, "You don't know_ anything... _how much they've taken from us."_

 _He craned his head again, particularly at the tonal inflection in her last sentence, "Perhaps I shall see if these primitive insects live up to the reputation you assign to them. But I assure you, no race in this galaxy... can stand up to the protoss." He gazed wistfully at his gauntlet claws, "My people have yet to challenge the Zerg. But if I were to make an... accurate comparison," In one violent sweep his reinforced claws dug through the Hydralisk's face, spilling blood, flesh, and gray matter from the cracked brain case. "The Death Fleet would burn them in a mere instant if the Highlord is so inclined."_

 _His words further confirmed her suspicions, which leads to the second detail, "You've never met the Zerg?"_

 _"No. Truthfully we never felt so inclined to monitor the ongoings of this forsaken sector, lest we attract attention from the heretical Khalai."_

 _"Khalai? Wait, are you a different kind of protoss? Are there more of you out there?"_

 _The protoss sneered down at her with a look of contemptuous understanding, "Ah. Now I see, you lack adequate knowledge of the Tal'darim." He broke off to pace, seemingly talking to himself, "How deplorable. If we are so powerful as the ascendants claim, why do we hide from the sentinels of the Templar to prey on the weaker species of the galaxy's outer rim? This cowardice is not strength!"_

 _He snapped his focus back to her and prowled closer, once again violating her personal space with a critical close-up eye, "I suppose your species' lack of fear for the Tal'darim can be forgiven for our skulking in the void of space. Therefore I will teach you to fear our race and regret crossing me. Introductions are in order, so pay attention!"_

 _His back straightened and his stance increased by a full feet as he splayed out his arms and claws, allowing the light from outside his prison to reflect off his armor. "I am Carnivek, One who Rends Flesh, bloodhunter votary bound in service of Thirteenth Ascendant Terana and Fourth Ascendant Alarak, and to our god Amon." He held one of his hands forward and conjured a floating orb of blood-red psionic energy in his hand, allowing its crimson light to wash over his white face and the reflective surfaces of their prison. "As a member of the most powerful race in the galaxy, second only to our creators the Xel'naga, you shall confer to me the proper respect and submission, from one inferior species to the stronger as per the natural laws of the universe. I grant you the right to challenge me for that respect and you are free to beg for swift death after I have bested you in combat."_

 _Lexi could easily deduce that this protoss, Carnivek, had an inflated sense of ego if his recited boasting, like a lord from a medieval drama, was any hint. Not too different from others she had to appease if she wanted to remain in his good graces. "T-Truly you are magnificent and powerful, Carnivek of the Tal'darim."_

 _Carnivek's smug face was replaced with displeasure as he clenched his fist and snuffed out the psionic orb in a small burst of sparks. "You're groveling to me."_

 _Caught off-guard by his icy mood shift, she stuttered, "N-No! I w-was just-"_

 _He violently clamped his claws over her skull again, and as the sharp edges dug through her hair and into her scalp, Lexi couldn't help but wonder if Carnivek had a habit of manhandling people's skulls. "You had no proof of my power!" he screamed. "And yet you are so quick to throw praises at my feet! Do you deem me a cheap fool if you think I would accept such empty, obsequious words from a sycophant, like a newborn mongrel begging for scraps?! You disgust me!"_

 _He raised his other hand towards her face, charging a tiny, yet blinding orb of red energies mere inches from her nose, "Tell me, what is the first feeling you have towards me now?"_

 _She was frozen like a deer in the bright red light. He continued, "Is it resentment? Indignation? Respect?"_

 _"Don't kill me, please..."_

 _"Fear. That is so, very, disappointing. I thought I sensed something worthwhile."_

 _He tossed Lexi to the side, and she was so sure the claws dug deep wounds along her scalp. Yet the pain quickly receded, and when she reached up to inspect for claw gouges, there was no blood. Her lack of injuries had to be the work of the Dreamscape._

 _Carnivek growled and pointed to her, "Let us finish our confrontation as soon as we can, and you will not make the mistake to disrespect me again! Tell me your name, terran."_

 _She kept silent as moisture began to form on her eyes. He hissed, "Speak!"_

 _Lexi was so done dealing with the protoss' violent abuses against her, she should probably just keep her mouth shut instead of humoring his demands. "Why don't you just read my mind and leave me alone? Isn't that easier for you?_

 _He cackled, "And there it is. That ever so minuscule iota of defiance in the face of your enemy. Alas, I cannot delve deeper into your memories lest I inadvertently stir you from your slumber with my mental prodding. No, it is easier for me to keep your consciousness trapped here in my domain, telling me firsthand until I can finally release you."_

 _"And why should I tell you anything?" She stood back up, "You can't hurt me if I have the knowledge you want."_

 _His cheeks rose, causing his eyes to squint like slits. If his expression were compared to a terran, he would look... excited? "See? This is far more entertaining than if you simply confessed. A pathetic attempt at challenge is better than none at all. And you are wrong, I_ can _hurt you, permanently."_

 _Their surroundings dissolved to purple smoke which then ignited and exploded with blue sparks like firecrackers, until they were surrounded from every conceivable angle by large webs of tendrils that connected for miles upon miles in the endless dark void. Blue lights and electrical connections jumped between the tendrils, keeping the void constantly illuminated with bright flashes._

 _Carnivek stared up at the display, "Impressive." He pulled at one of the connections between the tendrils. "Most impressive."_

 _Lexi quickly recognized the sight she beheld - she'd learn this through the course of her neuropsychology studies. "These are synaptic connections inside a brain."_

 _"Is it not fascinating to know that the minds of even the greatest beings are comprised of nothing more than electrical impulses contained within the walls of organic cellular tissue? All sentient life evolved in almost the same manner. Of course, there are clear distinctions between brain-dead insects enslaved by their instincts and intelligent, advanced evolved organisms such as myself. As for you, the connections of your mind are stronger than I anticipated for your species. You must have trained your mind in some form to be sharper than average, yet it is baffling how it is plagued by all these weak flaws."_

 _She would have snorted with indignation as her natural response to criticism if she wasn't still intimidated, "Guess I'm only book-smart..."_

 _"I do not see what primitive blocks of texts on paper have to do with your cognitive abilities," He faced her again, "Every one of these trillions of synaptic connections represents a part of you. The biological instincts and learned memories that build your knowledge and form your character." He chuckled darkly, "I do not lie when I said these connections are well-formed, it would almost be a shame to damage a fine specimen... almost."_

 _Carnivek reached out with his claws to touch one of the synapses, splicing off the light from the connection. The electricity in his hand reshaped itself into a pellucid orb encased delicately over his sharp claws that could burst the bubble. Various hues of bright light shone within, like a lightshow shining through the surface of water._

 _"Do you recall this?"_

 _Lexi tried to search for any underlying schemes, but it didn't seem too nefarious. She was just supposed to look at it, right? Cautiously, she approached and stopped a good few feet away just to get a closer look at the bubble._

 _Her eyes widened in shock, with a look of utter violation that can only be felt when one's most intimate, precious and private memories were held in the hands of someone she grew to despise so much. "What are you doing?"_

 _As the treasured lights continued to dance in the bubble, Carnivek spoke, "In my hand are some of your few happiest memories. Pitiful. If you do not tell me what I need to know," He clamped his claws over the bubble, just narrowly avoiding bursting it. His other hand reached up towards the trillions of synapses and charged a dangerous red orb crackling electricity with glee, "I will destroy everything dear to you. The memories you cradle like a desperate mother. The knowledge and experiences that form your mind. With merely a thought I can burn down everything you are before, no,_ if _you awaken. You may forget your dearest memories. You may be reduced to a broken animal or a catatonic mass of brain-dead flesh. Or you may never rise again. All are terrible punishments I can inflict if you do not heed my demands."_

 _This was a new sort of dread. He was holding her own self hostage. But still... "Y-You can't harm me without everyone else finding out!"_

 _There was a chilling cold glint to his eye that froze her spine, his voice became taunting, "Why is that important?"_

 _She didn't like where this was going, "Because they'll punish you for harming me?..."_

 _"You are uncertain."_

 _Lexi was silent; tongue-tied as her brows twisted in denial._

 _Carnivek's mocking laughter was hardly registered in her mind. He returned the memory bubble to the closest synaptic connection and spoke, "So you realized, the value of your life weighed by your fellow terrans. I've seen with my own eyes the way they look at you; the way they_ speak _to you. Whatever it is these scientists do, you are irrelevant to their design. Why else would you be resigned here for the past weeks doing nothing but watch my cell. It is why I was not afraid to confront you. They can easily replace you with another more capable scientist, but I am far too valuable to them. When will they ever get to capture another live protoss, I wonder?"_

 _The synaptic flashes became erratic and subdued, as if they were choked flames. Lexi slumped to her knees while clutching clenched fists to her head._

 _She should have realized from the beginning this was all a big, cruel joke. She was never a real scientist. She would never get to contribute anything important to this project. Hell, Knox only signed her up out of sheer pity for her miserably existence, which she can't even keep herself afloat for._

 _"Just do it. Do whatever you want. Kill me. Burn my memories."_

 _A new emotion showed on Carnivek's face: confusion. "What are you doing?"_

 _She didn't say anything. Bewildered and incensed, the albino stomped over. "What did you say?!"_

 _"It doesn't matter anymore what you do to me. There's no point in me caring."_

 _"No seriously. What nonsense are you spouting from your mouth?!" He snatched her head and painfully lifted her up till they were face to face to glare at her with a critical eye, "Is this some sort of trick? Are you trying to play mind games? What is this?"_

 _There was hardly any emotion in her voice, even knowing his hands could crush her head like a grape. "Why are you so angry?..."_

 _One of his baffled eyes twitched, "You are infuriating me, stupid terran! One moment you were begging me not to harm you and the next you ask me to kill you? No one surrenders so easily! Asinine!"_

 _The fear was slowly leaving her body to be replaced by emptiness, and only the barest surviving traces of frustration. "Do you honestly not fucking get it? I'm done. I'm fucking done with all this shit."_

 _"What is this?... Are you broken? Perhaps your faculties are too weak for mental resilience... Yes, of course, that must be why. Consider yourself immeasurably fortunate I have now lost my taste for torture."_

 _He threw her to the ground, from which she still reacted from the pain. The purple fog billowed over to cover everything in shroud once again._

 _For fuck's sake, she hoped she'll wake up from this god awful nightmare._

 _A bright flash of blue light sent her ducking instinctively. One burning ball of plasma blazed overhead and crashed somewhere, stirring excruciating screams that jolted her to full alertness. The fog was blown away by destructive flames among the rubble of New Gettysburg._

 _She gagged and coughed from the foul stench of smoke and burnt flesh. Her eyes widened at the sight of thousands of charred black corpses, with skin fused to bone and limbs protruded at painful angles._

 _Walking over the corpses were dragoons, their cold armor covered in ashes and their ocular sensors flashing blinding lights as they continued to fire on the survivors and the dying hidden in the flames._

 _One of them stared at her. In a split second fear and instincts possessed her muscles to run for her life once again, but she could not outrun the hot, bright plasma fired her way. The light from behind blinded her as she was engulfed._

* * *

 _Yet she wasn't vaporized, and the moment her light-blindess cleared she found herself surrounded once more by the synaptic connections of her brain. Her heart was still beating, her muscles still tense from the adrenal rush, and she clutched her chest heaving heavy breaths to try and regain control of herself._

 _Carnivek stood before her._ _"Much better. You still have your fear reaction and tried to preserve your own life. I supposed what happened earlier was simply a stress-induced mental stutter."_

 _Lexi's head felt light and her thoughts were starting to scatter. "What the fuck was that about?!" Her emotions were wild and destabilized, shifting dramatically from one state to the next due to this words and manipulations. She was deathly afraid, and perhaps she still is, but now she's_ _pissed. She_ _can't take this anymore! "Get me out of here you bastard!"_

 _"I can no longer afford the leisure to toy with you now. You simply ruined all the fun," He crossed his hands behind his back as he approached her again, closing despite her back-pedaling. "I must profess, I never met a sapient mind with your thought processes. It intrigues me. However, it ultimately means nothing in eventuality."_

 _She ran to get as far away from him as possible. It was a futile attempt really, with her short untrained legs and Carnivek's long strides, he easily caught up and yanked her back by the braid. Lexi tried to tug her hair free, "Let go!"_

 _"Much better. I hate it when my enemies give up so easily. It is more much entertaining when they try to contest."_

 _"It's not fun to me! A-Are treating me like some game?!"_

 _"I have been trapped in this boring cell for some time._ _Even a primitive like you should understand my boredom._

 _Her pent up frustrations boiled with renewed vengeance. She was dead anyway, so there was no restraint when she banged her fists against his armor. "I'm so fucking sick of you people not taking me seriously and treating me like crap!" Tears spilled from her eyes, filled with despair, but now added with frustration. "What the hell did I do to deserve this?!"_

 _He clamped one around the arm fruitlessly assaulting his armor, "We will conclude this now. I shall release you when you tell me all I want to know, starting with your name."_

 _"You think you can just ask and I'll tell you? Just kill me and get this shit over with!"_

 _"I know you do not want that."_

 _"I told you I don't care anymore."_

 _"You lie."_

 _"LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

 _"Tell me and I will leave you in peace."_

 _"FINE! It's Lexi!"_

 _"Lexi," said Carnivek, testing the name. "What does it mean?"_

 _"I... I don't know."_

 _"That is stupid. I was expecting something more substantial, now I will probably forget it anyway."_

 _Lexi felt her teeth grind together as Carnivek circled around her again, "Now tell me. What brought your species into conflict with the Khalai protoss?"_

 _She scowled with hate at the protoss, "We were minding our own business when the Zerg showed up from nowhere and infested the fringe worlds. Then the protoss came and burned our worlds, killing everyone on the planets they torched."_

 _"I am going to assume your species did nothing to insult the protoss beforehand."_

 _"No. They attacked us first!"_

 _"How strange. The Khalai are naive fools with bleeding hearts and an arrogant presumption that they have some duty to cradle the lesser species. It is not in their feeble nature to commit wanton genocide." He threw a side-glance to her, "Perhaps they did not actively seek to destroy you Terrans. No... perhaps you are simply pests caught between Khalai purges against Zerg infested worlds."_

 _She never thought of it that way. "It doesn't matter what their intentions were. They torched our planets from orbit."_

 _"Of course they would resort to orbital bombardment! It would be the most efficient way to cleanse the planet entirely, such that not even a single zerg organism could have survived the onslaught. You Terrans may complain all you want, it is irrelevant to us. Pest control is always a mundane task to us."_

 _"Mundane? I don't think so. The other protoss lost their homeworld to the Zerg."_

 _Carnivek stopped his pacing and faced straight towards her, "_ What _. You mean to tell me the Khalai lost Aiur to those mindless hive creatures?"_

 _She nodded, "Yes."_

 _The albino protoss began pacing again, "That does not make sense... The Khalai are too attached to their homeworld, how could they lose it to mere insects? The Death Fleet still will not dare challenge Aiur's fleets, and yet if the Zerg are able to defeat them, that means..." He clenched his fists, causing the metal to groan under his tightening grip as he roared and stomped towards her; his eyes burning with red energy. "You lie, wretched worm! It is impossible for the Zerg to achieve what you just said!"_

 _"You think I'm lying? You can check for yourself if you ever got out of your prison!"_

 _Carnivek growled as he circled again with his back hunched deep in thought, "If what you say is true... then the Zerg are truly as formidable as you believe them to be. It also means the Khalai will be weakened if they are unable to exact vengeance for their precious homeworld." A devious glint shone on his eyes, and he rubbed his hands together, cackling to himself. "It was expected that on the Day of Ascension, we would fight the Khalai to the death and arise as the victors, the one true protoss. However, the course of events will change this time. We will finish off our heretic protoss kin as punishment for their weakness, and we will succeed where they failed in destroying the Zerg, a more worthy adversary than the Khalai. We will double our efforts to expand the Death Fleet and achieve the final victory, then we will ascend, all thanks to my word."_

 _Lexi raised a brow, "To do that you need to escape. How do you expect to do that?"_

 _The protoss stared at her, as if deciding on something before he spoke, "Simple. This scientific project you are part of was doomed to fail from the beginning."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I presume you are all here primarily to study the Breath of Creation. When my captors...," His eyes squinted dangerously, "'convinced' me to tell them what I know, I told them what they wanted to know: that they can use the terrazine to bolster their feeble psionic potential, just as I use the terrazine to enhance myself. And they ate my words! I saw the greed in their eyes. Feeble-minded ambition, it will be their undoing, and my liberator."_

 _"Did you trick them?"_

 _Carnivek chuckled, "No. I told them the truth. Well, more like a half-truth. Amon created the terrazine for our use alone; any other of the lesser races will only find ruin trying to wield its power for themselves. Yes, I can see it now. It will delight me to see you terrans become corrupted; watch them go mad as the gas' essence tears their crude minds asunder!" He giggle manically, "This will be my revenge!"_

 _Even after her dramatic shift to her frustrated, angry state, she still had plenty of reasons to fear and be creeped out by Carnivek, "And I'm not just going to tell everyone what you told me?"_

 _"Go ahead, do try to warn them, your words will amount to_ nothing _. I know how your species thinks, like all the other primitive races that rise and fall. Even if they believe you, a low ranking peon among their numbers, they will so greedily try to control and harness the terrazine to sate their own desperate thirst for power. By the time they realize the futility of their endeavor, the damage will be done. Most likely a psionic catastrophe will level this facility and free me from my bonds, and I will slaughter everyone here, mercilessly and without compromise."_

 _Lexi shook her head, "You don't know if it'll happen for sure. At this rate, you're just gambling with uncertain chances. You might be stuck here forever"_

 _Carnivek's eyes narrowed, "Unlike you, I do not allow myself to be crippled with despair. To doubt my own survival is tantamount to accepting death. I_ will _escape this prison._ "

 _She sighed, "That must be a nice mentality to have..." she grumbled, "Glad to see you're happy with living..."_

 _The protoss stomped his foot, his voice grew low, "Happiness... is a lie. There is never happiness. It is a deception told to younglings to preserve their feeble minds before they are taught the harsh truth of reality. The only purpose for all life, from the dumbest bacteria to the protoss, is victory or death. There is no question about it."_

 _He sneered at her, and the void echoed with his manic laughter, "I have no more use for you, terran." His hand reignited a psionic orb. "Time to destroy your mind."_

 _Lexi's breath hitched, "No! You said you'd release me!"_

 _"You are correct. I did say I will release you... from the cruel existence that is life." He tilted his head towards her at an angle. If he had a mouth, Lexi was sure he'd have a shit-eating grin. "This is a favor really, a weakling like you does not deserve to exist in this world. You will only encounter failure and disappointment."_

 _The despair was coming back full force, "W-Why?..."_

 _"You amuse me, monkey. Talking to you did not turn out as I had originally expected, but it is more than enough to stave off this_ unbearable _boredom. I was going to promise you a swift, clean, and painless death when I escaped, but who knows how long that will take before I get that chance? No. I'm going to enjoy my time picking you apart piece by piece to sate my bloodlust._ "

 _"That's...not fair. You cruel heartless BASTARD!"_

 _"What can I say? I enjoy bloodshed. The feeling of power over the lives of others, it exhilarates me; fills my soul! Every second with my prison barriers barring me from slaughtering you all makes my blood boil! I only respect the laws of nature, if you did not want to suffer by my hand, you should have resisted but you can not! Now_ bow!"

 _He launched the orb crackling with destructive energies to barrel straight for the closest synaptic connection, aiming to burn her mind to the ground._

 _The orb was suddenly snuffed and extinguished a mere feet away from its target._

 _"WHAT?!"_

 _Lexi was confused seeing Carnivek being confused. Then the purple fog began to blow away, as if an outside force was expelling it against its will. She fell to her hands as the wind whipped at her labcoat and braid. Carnivek tried to fight it, even as his metal feet scraped against the ground._

 _"I should not have wasted time toying with you! Consider yourself lucky for the circumstances, monkey!" He was swept off his feet and thrown into the void. "I will have vengeance, and you will die, by my means or your own failure! I promise this!"_

* * *

"Wake up."

Lexi blinked wearily and quickly registered a hand shaking her shoulder. Seconds later her hand swung up to nurse the throbbing headache pounding in her skull, and she turned to see Corona standing over her, still dressed in her ghost environmental suit.

"Corona?... What happened?"

"Relax, girl. I happened to drop by when I sensed an anomaly in your mind. So I forced it out."

Recent memories started filtering in from her weary brain, and she whirled around to stare at the prison. Carnivek was pacing his cell (like he usually does for the past two weeks since she got here).

This time though, turned his head to stare at her intently as he continued to pace. For a moment, they simply stared at each other without saying a single word, and Lexi was certain one of them was going to say something. Eventually, Carnivek switched his focus to Corona and snarled in his alien language before retreating to the darker recesses of his prison.

Corona smirked, "He still hates me so much for capturing him. You can tell he's a sore loser."

Lexi sighed with a heavy breath, "I think he was in my head."

"Shh," the taller woman rubbed one hand over Lexi's back and the other hand massaging her temple. Somehow, it soothed her, and she was grateful for the gesture. "Relax. You're safe now, he can't reach you anymore." Her face hardened, "You shouldn't have fallen asleep, try to keep that in mind next time."

"Got it."

"What happened? Did he talk to you?"

Lexi remembered the conversation with startling clarity, "He told me this whole project is rigged to fail. The terrazine... it's supposed to drive you all crazy."

"We know this already," Corona continued her calming caresses, "Already a few ghosts have become... too damaged to continue. However this won't stop them from trying to make it work."

"I'm sorry Project Shadowblade is forcing you to do this."

Corona shook her head, "No. They didn't really force me, I want to do this."

The young scientist furrowed her brows, "Why? Even knowing all the risks? That's what the protoss wants you to do, to let the terrazine drive you mad."

The dark-skinned woman allowed a small grin to stretch on her face, "You'll probably understand my sentiments in this project. If I had the power to stop the Protoss and Zerg from killing all those people, I'd take it, despite the risks to myself. We need something to level out the playing field."

Corona finished by patting Lexi's head, "I'm a strong girl, and I think you're strong too."

She walked away, leaving Lexi alone with her thoughts.

* * *

 **-Korhal, Augustgrad Palace-**

Arcturus Mengsk bit down on his cigar out of habit, it tended to happen when he was deep in thought.

The cause of his thoughts? Many things really. Running a new empire from the ruins of the Confederacy and other systems, right after the wars with the Zerg and the UED, was not an easy task even for a man of his caliber. His son was idealistic and an eager statesman, but he wasted too much of his recent time digging on alien planets, leaving Arcturus to run the state on his own. Truthfully, he much preferred having total control rather than delegating the tasks to his son. He needed to cement his power and appearance for as long as he can before he finally grew too old to rule and had to relinquish it to his son.

Among the many struggles of running the Dominion, there was also Project: Shadowblade. It was an ambitious project that Arcturus initially supported, after all, they'd be using the protoss' own chemicals against them by enhancing the Dominion's finest soldiers.

Yet time and time again, the project was met with failure. It had been two months, and so far no substantial progress was made in utilizing the terrazine gas reliably.

He contacted Warfield in his own time, "General. Report on Shadowblade."

Warfield's hologram responded, _"Your majesty. The project isn't going according to plan so far. When we tried to administer the gas in various dosages, most of our test subjects suffered psychological issues ranging from drastic personality shifts to chronic hallucinations and insanity. One of the worst case examples had a subject screaming that he encountered space Cthulhu or something. Clearly this is not conducive to creating reliable, stable agents."_

"That is indeed unfortunate, General. Have your team figured out a solution yet?"

 _"The eggheads believe that a co-catalyst may be necessary to counteract or at least lessen the negative side-effects of the terrazine. We're currently gathering various material samples to experiment with."_

"Do you have anything else to report?"

 _"There is another aspect to the terrazine worth noting. No matter the dosage, one of the only_ consistent _effects of the terrazine is how it rejuvenates brain cells and restores memories. This means all the brain-panning, memory wipes, and neural resocs can be reversed by exposure to the terrazine. Some of the ghosts became unstable when they suddenly remembered their past life, and we couldn't mind-wipe them again until the terrazine wore off."_

Arcturus held his cigar between his fingers, "So this terrazine can compromise the obedience of our agents..."

 _"It would seem so. The scientists tell me they can't figure out a way to prevent this side-effect._ "

"If so, then this project is no longer worth the money and effort. We cannot risk the spectres going rogue and turning against the Dominion, and if knowledge of the terrazine became public, our enemies can use it to turn our agents against us."

 _"What do you plan to do with the project then?"_

The Emperor pointed his cigar to Warfield, "Return to Korhal, General. Bring nothing with you and speak of nothing afterwards. We're terminating the project."

 _"Understood, your Majesty. And what of the personnel stationed at the project."_

"You know what their contracts say."

Warfield's holographic head frowned, but he nodded, _"Of course._ "

"You're dismissed."

The connection ended, leaving Arcturus to plan his next move. All knowledge of Project: Shadowblade and the terrazine needed to be eliminated lest the Dominion's entire Ghost Program is compromised. A squad must be sent to terminate the project in secret.

And it would be perfect practice to continue testing one of his most valuable agents.

He made another contact, "Get me Agent X41822N."


End file.
